A solicitor with severe arthritis has hit out after driving down a designated road for buses with access for disabled blue badge holders and being slapped with a charge.

Terry Boston, a solicitor who lives near Sleaford, Lincolnshire, drove down the camera-operated Friar Lane 'bus gate' on Wednesday, January 17, before parking in a disabled bay in Angel Row.

Signs in Friar Lane say the bus gate, one of the main bus routes into the city, cannot be used by motorists - except blue badge holders, wheelchair accessible taxis and permit holders - between 10am and 4.30pm.

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Mr Boston, 65, who has "severe arthritis" and had a blue badge for ten years, said he drove into the city to discuss business with associates from the Johnson Partnership criminal defence solicitors, based in Long Row.

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"The reason for the issue of the ticket was I drove through a bus gate, which has a sign clearly marked for access for disabled people. I was charged for driving down the bus gate.

"The signage is perfect. It's a massive sign that says holders are allowed through. It's a very clear, big sign with a blue badge symbol on it. The parking bays are within the bus gate."

Friar Lane in Nottingham. (Image: Mark Fear)

The CCTV camera monitoring the bus gate cannot identify blue badge holders from outside of Nottingham, as the city council cannot obtain the information from other authorities due to data protection rules.

And disabled drivers from outside of Nottingham who are snared have to prove their disability to get their ticket waived.

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"I would like to see them stop enforcing that with a camera because clearly it's not doing the job properly.

"People from outside of Nottingham will not know what that road is and see its access for blue badge holders and then will think everything's OK, and then will, all of a sudden, see it's not OK and they [the council] will knobble you for £60.

"A lot of old, disabled people when they see a rather assertive letter through the post, some people would be upset. It's just bully boy tactics.

"They are taking advantage. It frightens people."

A campaign group for motorists called for bus gates to be totally pedestrianised, with no exemptions and being just for buses, to prevent any confusion about who can drive through them.

Ian Taylor, spokesman and director of the Alliance for British Drivers, added: "The ABD is really quite clear that we really do not like them [bus gates] as it's putting aside one stretch of road for one category of road user.

"If they [the city council] want it to be pedestrianised, it should be totally or not.

Friar Lane in Nottingham. (Image: MARK FEAR)

"The whole idea of slapping fines willy-nilly in the area and if you appeal it it will get cancelled, it's very, very wrong.

"It's completely the wrong way round. I am sure a lot of people do not appeal and do not learn. It's putting them to an awful lot of bother that they should not have to do."

A Nottingham City Council spokesman said: "All blue badge holders are exempt from these charges, however it is impossible to monitor all vehicles with blue badges as these can be used in any car.

"If anyone who holds a blue badge can show that they have been inadvertently charged, we will cancel the charge.”